Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
Joe Biden received his Covid-19 shot. The US president-elect got a dose of the Pfizer vaccine live on TV.
The US’s pandemic relief bill heads to president Trump’s desk. The $900 billion package passed the House and Senate.
The UK is investigating whether the coronavirus variant spreads more easily in children. If true, this could help explain the high rates of infection. Meanwhile, the UK-France border could reopen for trade.
Tesla’s S&P 500 debut was less than stellar. The automaker’s shares fell 6.5% on their first day on the exchange, as US stocks mostly closed lower on news of new coronavirus restrictions.
Tech giants sued the hacking company NSO. The usual suspects are in a legal battle against the Israeli cyber surveillance firm that exploited a bug in WhatsApp to spy on people worldwide.
MGM Holdings is exploring a sale. The movie studio has a market value of $5.5 billion, and is hoping its trove of content will prove attractive to buyers eyeing video-streaming services.
What to watch for
The US National Basketball Association’s 2020-21 season starts tonight. You’re forgiven for thinking, “Didn’t the NBA season just end?”
Indeed, the pandemic-delayed season wrapped up Oct. 6, about four months later than usual, with the LeBron James-led LA Lakers defeating the Miami Heat. The NBA and its player union were loath to sacrifice more revenue, so after the briefest of breaks, a 72-game season (10 fewer than usual) will get under way in time for the league’s annual Christmas extravaganza.
Unlike the end of last season, when all games were played within a quarantine bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the 2020-21 season will be played at home arenas. In some cities, fans will be allowed at games, but for the most part they’ll be played in empty buildings.
And one arena will have no games at all: The Toronto Raptors, the 2019-20 NBA champions, will play their home games in Tampa, Florida, as the Canadian government has refused to waive quarantine rules for teams traveling from the US to Canada.
Charting how far a stimulus goes
In addition to increasing unemployment benefits and extending unemployment assistance programs, granting money to schools, and supplementing the national food relief program, the US’s $900 billion pandemic relief package includes a $600 check for many Americans (plus $600 for each of their dependent children). But how far does that go?
The cost of living varies significantly across the country. In Detroit, one of the poorer cities in the US, a single check for $600 would cover nearly all of an average resident’s housing costs for one month, including rent or mortgage payments, utilities, and furnishing. In San Francisco, the check would only cover half of housing costs per capita.
Your Covid-19 vaccine questions, answered
One of our best tools in the world’s uphill battle to reclaim everyday life from the pandemic is the same tool we’ve used to combat widespread disease for centuries. And yet, with a vaccine that arrived at breakneck speed, credibility issues for some governments, and so much still unknown about the nature of the virus, you’ve definitely got questions.
Katherine Ellen Foley and Annalisa Merelli address concerns such as:
- What is the vaccine’s effect on our DNA? (None.)
- What is its efficacy for people with allergies? (A lot.)
- Do I have to get it if I’ve been previously exposed? (Sorry, yep.)
- How much we should trust in the leadership that brought it to us? (That’s up to you, but know that there are a lot of scientists on the job.)
- And everything else you’ve been worried about.
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Surprising discoveries
The US stimulus bill may save the climate. It makes the US comply with a 2016 accord to phase out climate-harming chemical coolants.
The pope doesn’t like the Vatican’s sci-fi nativity scene. The ceramic sculptures were made between 1965-1975 to commemorate lunar landings.
Nearly a ton of cocaine washed up on the Marshall Islands. The ghost ship carrying it might have been at sea for years.
French dressing can be whatever it wants in America… The orange sauce is no longer regulated by the US government.
…as can soy sauce. A Japanese company’s bug-based miso was a big hit, so it’s now turning to cricket soy sauce.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, nativity spacemen, and a ball to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Mary Hui, Tripti Lahiri, Oliver Staley, Amanda Shendruk, Jordan Lebeau, Liz Webber, and Susan Howson.